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Loving You, 3
Elvis's second movie "Loving You" chronicles a young singer's rise
to fame and was inspired by Elvis's own life.
Charles Lang was the cinematographer for "Loving You". In 1961 he
also film the lush scenery seen in Elvis's movie "Blue Hawaii". Mr.
Lang received 18 Academy Award nominations for his work in such
films, including "Butterflies Are Free", "How The West Was Won",
"Some Like it Hot" and "Sabrina". He won for the movie "Farewell to
Arms".
Joan Bradshaw had an uncredited bit part in "Loving You" and several
other movies in 1957.
She went on to become a producer on such films as "Mrs. Doubtfire",
"Cast Away", and "Road To Perdition".
Carole Dunne played as a teenage extra in "Loving You" and is today
an award winning hair stylist for film and television.
As in many Elvis movies, the cast of "Loving You" included a number
of veteran character actors, including Joe Gray, Irene Tedrow,
William Forrest, Madge Blake and Skip Young.
Joe Gray, a former boxer, was a fight coordinator and a longtime
film double for Dean Martin.
Among his credits are the Elvis movies "Loving You", "GI Blues" "and
"Kid Galahad".
Other credits include "Rio Bravo", "Ocean's Eleven", "Breakfast At
Tiffany's", "Robin And the Seven Hoods", and "Bye Bye Birdie".
Irene Tedrow played Mrs. Jessup. Among her hundreds of roles in film
and television, two earned her Emmy Award nominations -
one for the TV show "James at 15" and another for the TV mini-series
"Eleanor and Franklin".
William Forrest played Mr. Jessup. He too had hundreds of roles,
including one in the Elvis film "Jailhouse Rock".
Madge Blak played a hired crowed agitator in "Loving You".
She is perhaps best recognized for her TV roles as Aunt Harriett
Cooper on "Batman" and as Larry Mondello's mother in "Leave It To
Beaver".
You also might recognize Skip Young, who played Teddy, a friend and
co-worker of Deke Rivers (Elvis) in the opening scenes of "Loving
You".
Mr. Young was a regular on the TV series "The Adventures of Ozzie
and Harriet" in which he played a buddy of Rick Nelson's.
Yvonne Lime played Sally in this "Loving You". She also briefly
dated Elvis and visited him in Memphis for Easter in April 1957. At
the time Elvis and his family were renovating Graceland and had not
yet moved in. Elvis brought her out to see his new home. Ms. Lime
previously had a longtime role as Dotty on the TV series "Father
Knows Best". She continued to act after "Loving You" until her
marriage to TV producer Don Federson, when she turned her energies
to children's charities. She and fellow actress Sara
O'Meara founded International Orphans Inc., building orphanages in
Japan and Vietnam, as well as starting Childhelp USA for abused and
neglected children in the U.S.
Elvis's parents Vernon and Gladys and their friends Carl and Willy
Nichols came to Hollywood for a month of vacation and to see where
their son worked. They spent time sightseeing and both ladies bought
pet poodles. Mrs. Nichols named her poodle Pierre and Mrs. Presley
named hers Duke after John Wayne. Scotty Moore and his wife Bobbie
took the Presleys to see the filming of the Tennessee Ernie Ford
weekly TV show. They were introduced from the audience and went back
stage to meet Mr. Ford. Elvis and his date Joan Blackman took them
to see the movie "The Ten Commandments". (Blackman was Elvis's
leading lady in "Blue Hawaii" a few years later in 1961 and then
again in 1962's "Kid Galahad".) Vernon and Gladys also visited Elvis
on the set of "Loving You". It was on a visit to the studio that Hal
Kanter got the idea to include them as extras in the Grand Theatre
audience. They can be seen sitting on the aisle with Mr. and Mrs.
Nichols next to them. The Presleys clapped with the music and
applauded proudly for their son. It is said that after his mother's
death the following year, Elvis couldn't bring himself to watch
"Loving You".
"Loving You" premiered in Memphis on July 10, 1957 at the Strand
Theater. Elvis didn't go to that showing. Instead, he took his date
Anita Wood and his parents to a private midnight screening. The film
opened nationally on July 30, 1957 and peaked at #7 on the Variety
National Box Office Survey.
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